The Poisoned Moon
by Music-Junkie-101
Summary: The moon, so pure and bright, is devoured as the darkness seeps in, losing all what it was once before and dies as the poison takes hold. Crack-fic. ZabuzaXHinata
1. Chapter 1

The Poisoned Moon

By: Music-Junkie-101

Summary: The moon, so pure and bright, is devoured as the darkness seeps in, losing all what it was once before and dies as the poison takes hold. ZabuXHina

**Warning:** For the first few chapters, there will be only mild violence and language. But as the story progresses, both will get more graphic. It is also possible that there might be some sexual situations later.

Chapter One:

The Sharpest Blade

She was sinking. The eyes that bore into her made the floor beneath her melt, and she was slowly, slowly, being dragged down into the infinite darkness that she had struggled so long to escape from. She felt she had been thrown into the ocean, legs and arms tied, weights attached so as to ensure she wouldn't being able to swim. She was _sinking…_ Sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

"There is _no _excuse for failure."

The words cut into her like a blade, sharper than any blade. The words are the blade itself. She could feel her hands shaking. Inside her mind, she ordered them to stop. Signs of cowardice weren't tolerated within her clan, and usually gave off an aura of weakness. They didn't.

Her father's eyes pierced into hers, demanding an immediate response. Like a mindless drone, she nodded, her eyes pointed to the floor in respect. She could feel the stares of the others around her penetrating her, digging through her skin straight to the bone.

"The exam will be relatively easy. You understand it, yes?"

Another nod. She did. She had been practicing all month, staying out on the clan training grounds for hours a day, to the point of collapse. She had struggled with the hand signs, as she did with everything that was thrown at her, and with dishing out the sufficient chakra without wasting it.

But then it hit her. Her father wanted her to _demonstrate _it in front of the _whole _clan. She waited for him to say the dreaded command.

But he didn't. Instead, he rose from his seat, and so did the rest of the clan. "I expect you to pass," her father said bluntly as he walked towards the large double-set doors behind the desk he had been sitting at. "You are a member of one of the most prestigious clans in Kohona. Play the part."

"I understand, Father," the girl replied, bowing her head in obedience.

"Good." He left the room.

She felt the eyes of the other clan members on her, repeating the same thing her father said in cold, emotionless stares. When they were gone, she lifted her head.

Finally, Hyuga Hinata could breathe.

**A/N: **I'm sorry that this chapter is short, but I felt I would ruin it if it went on any longer. This story will be somewhat AU-ish, and will not follow the _exact _plot of the manga, because seeing as this story will focus on Hinata, I will be switching some things around. Yes, this is a _crack_pairing fic. Zabuza and Hinata, to be exact. If you are not fond of the pairing, there will be no need to read this story. I will accept flames, but I would appreciate it if you would flame more on the quality of the story than just the pairing. Thank you for reading and have a good day. :)

P.S. Also, this scene took place before the graduation exams if any of you are confused. I wrote it because I could imagine Hiashi giving Hinata a lecture the day before the graduation exmas.


	2. Chapter 2

The Poisoned Moon

By: Music-Junkie-101

Summary: The moon, so pure and bright, is devoured as the darkness seeps in, losing all what it was once before and dies as the poison takes hold. ZabuXHina

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter Two:

Water and Metal

The classroom was noisy. It was the day of the graduation exam, and classmates were talking excitedly amongst each other, sitting on desks or next to friends, heedless of the rule on assigned seats. It didn't matter to Hinata. Master Iruka would get after them soon enough. There was only one person she was concerned with.

She scanned the classroom from her spot at the higher level desks, searching for a mess of blond hair, a glint of electric-blue eyes, and the bright obnoxiousness of an orange jumpsuit. Hinata sighed and stared at the many "I Heart Sasuke" and "Iruka Sucks" etched into the wood of her desk.

About thirty minutes later, she heard a loud commotion coming from the hallway. The door flew open and two girls shoved their way in, panting and gasping. The class went quiet and all heads turned towards the girls, both of whom were sneering at each other.

The blonde shot a look of triumph and superiority at the girl beside her. "I win again. As always," she added smugly.

The pink-haired girl snorted. "Oh, please Ino. My toe was an inch of a tenth ahead of yours!"

"You _must _be hallucinating, Sakura."

Hinata's eyes drifted away as the girls proceeded to bicker and the class started talking again. It was a normal scenario; everyone knew that Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino had major crushes that equaled the size of a mountain on Uchiha Sasuke, the top rookie of the Academy. Personally, Hinata couldn't see any reason why he would even spare a glance their way.

Speaking if which, the raven-haired boy was sitting a couple desks below her, hands folded under his chin, expression stoic. Hinata couldn't see his face, but she knew he wouldn't be laughing or smiling as the others were. He was the only one sitting at that desk, and… so was _Naruto._

Hinata felt her heart skip a beat, and she fiddled with her fingers, a habit she developed when she was nervous. _Should I go talk to him? Before he- _

Too late. Sakura was striding towards the desk where Naruto and Sasuke sat, apparently having won the traditional rock-paper-scissors game the two girls had played to determine who got to go near Sasuke (Ino was sulking). Unfortunately, Naruto didn't seem to know this, as he looked riveted by the fact that Sakura was walking towards him.

Hinata felt her heart sink, and her confidence with it. How could she ever catch Naruto's eye when girls like Sakura and Ino were around? _They _were perfect in every way, Sakura having the brains and Ino the looks. Hinata had none of those. She was just the shy kunochi who was only remembered by her last name. She wasn't pretty, not with her creepy white eyes and cropped hair her father made her wear short. Her ninja skills were mediocre at best, and she certainly wasn't as smart as Sakura.

She sighed and started daydreaming of what _could _be. She imagined herself older, prettier, smarter and stronger. She was _finally _living up to her clan's name, and they were all proud of her. Hinata imagined an encounter with Naruto. She was walking around Kohona, coming back from the training grounds, and she bumps into someone. Hinata looks up to see… Naruto. Naruto stares at her with his amazing blue eyes, and he smiles. He touches her cheek and says, "Hinata-chan." Then he started leaning down, bringing his face close to hers…

"Hey, Naruto! Leave Sasuke alone!"

Sakura's high-pitched shriek was enough to wake up a deaf man, and so made Hinata jump and observe the scene below her.

Naruto was perched on the desk, right above Sasuke, and was glaring at him, eyes narrowed in a fox-like way. Sasuke was glaring back, looking very annoyed. Obviously, he had been deep in thought, and was not pleased with the village dunce getting in his face.

"Got a problem?" the raven-haired boy sneered, his tone laced with threat. Naruto merely snorted and kept glaring. It could've gone on for awhile, until a boy sitting right behind Naruto shifted in his seat and accidentally and knocked the blond off balance, sending him toppling towards Sasuke.

Everyone watched in horror as Naruto's lips accidentally connected with Sasuke's. Hinata let out a squeak. Ino and Sakura screamed. The boys immediately pulled apart, spitting and gagging.

"Yeech, I'm poisoned!" Naruto said, rubbing his mouth furiously.

"I'm going to _kill _you!" Sasuke said in reply.

Naruto froze as a dark shadow loomed over him and he slowly turned his head to see Sakura leaning over him ominously, a surprisingly calm look on her face. The only thing that expressed her true feelings was the fact that she was cracking her knuckles.

"It was an accident, I swear!" Naruto cried just before a barrage of fists came flying down on him. The rest of Sasuke's fans, who had gathered behind Sakura to watch, shouted encouragements to her.

Hinata winced as Sakura's fists rained a series of blows down on Naruto. She couldn't see how Sakura could be so mean to others around her. Hinata was also confused by the fact that Naruto just let her do that to him. Sakura was pretty, but she wasn't very nice.

It made Hinata think of something her mother told her before her mother died when she was nine. Her mother mentioned that everyone had some kind of element playing in their lives due personality. Hinata, being agreeable and shy, had water in her personality. It meant that, like water, she could flow easily and make her way through every little crack in the walls that trapped her quietly and without being noticed.

Hinata watched Sakura stalk away from Naruto, who was now lying on his desk, face covered in bruises and a large bump on his head, twitching. What would Sakura be? Earth? Wood? No, she would be _metal. _Strong and determined, Sakura was hard as a kunai blade, her tongue sharp as one as well. Hardly anything affected Sakura.

But then again, didn't metal rust over time?

As Hinata was contemplating this, there was a large noise, and a loud voice shouted out: "That's enough! To your seats!"

When the dust of the transportation jutsu faded away, there stood an irate and slightly disheveled Iruka. With his brown hair pulled back into a spiky ponytail and the mysterious scar across the bridge of his nose, Iruka was one of the better looking teachers of the Academy, and somewhat mellow too, although he didn't look pleased with the state his class was in.

Everyone immediately rushed back to their seats. No one wanted to be in the way of Iruka's wrath. He could talk anybody's ears off with his lectures.

"Anyways, I'm sure you all know that today is the day of the graduation exams," Iruka said. "In order to pass, you must create three solid doppelgangers. I will be in the back room, where Master Mizuki and I will judge your doppelgangers and determine if you passed or not. When I call your name, please stand up and follow me into the room. Aburame Shino!"

A dark-haired boy wearing a trench coat and sunglasses slowly rose from his seat and followed Iruka into the room. As soon as the door closed, the class began whispering loudly.

"Be quiet!" Iruka roared from the other room. Everyone immediately shut up.

Hinata felt sweat dripping down her forehead. She quickly wiped it away so no one would see. What if she couldn't do it? What if… she _failed?_

**A/N:** Yes, I know the scene in this chapter took place after they graduated, but like I said, I'm switching a few things around. As for Zabuza, he won't be coming in until chapter eight. That's when the story becomes the story. So yeah, these first few chapters are kind of like fillers that are leading up to that point. I'm glad I made this chapter longer, but for this story, they might only be this long. It depends on how I write the story, since it differs greatly from my other one. Also, I apologize if the tone of this chapter was too funny, considering what the last one was like. The story will have different tones to it, so it won't sound like a broken record. I know I finished this one quickly, but don't expect an update every day. I might put one up once a week while I'm working on another one. If there's anything you think I need work on, or anything you liked about the story, please tell me. I would love to know what you guys think, and I am open to any improvement you might suggest. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day. :)


	3. Chapter 3

The Poisoned Moon

By: Music-Junkie-101

Summary: The moon, so pure and bright, is devoured as the darkness seeps in, losing all what it was once before and dies as the poison takes hold. [ZabuXHina]

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter Three:

Biggest Failure

She could hear her father's words in her mind. A warning, a threat, filled with contempt. They had kept her awake for hours last night, making her toss and turn as they tormented her in her sleep.

_"There is no excuse for failure…" _

One by one, names were called. One by one, a student entered the backroom. One by one, a student left with a Leaf _hitai-ate. _

"Haruno Sakura!"

The pink-haired kunochi flipped her hair back and battered her jade-green eyes at Sasuke as she headed towards the door. The Uchiha ignored her, making her pout, and Ino smirk.

Only a moment later, she came back out, removing the red ribbon she wore as a headband, and replacing it with her new _hitai-ate._

"Hyuga Hinata!"

Said girl jumped, and let out a squeak, and falling back into her seat loudly. Everyone was staring. Even Naruto. Hinata felt her heart skip a beat and she smiled timidly at the thought.

"C-c-coming," she said softly. She got up and started walking down the stairs. She entered the room and closed the door behind her. Across the room, Master Iruka and Master Mizuki, a smiling gray-haired man about Iruka's age, sat at a desk with _hitai-ates_ spread out across the surface.

Iruka smiled at her. "When you're ready, Hinata."

Hinata swallowed. Making the hand signs with slightly shaking hands, she concentrated her chakra flow as evenly as she could as she said the required words. There were two small popping sounds from either side of Hinata, and she dared to open her eyes.

There were three perfect replicas of a petite, nervous blue-haired kunochi. One was standing to Hinata's right, the other two to her left, all in the same position as Hinata, hands still formed in the technique.

Iruka smiled. "Excellent job, Hinata. Your hard work is showing."

Hinata felt the heat rush up to her face, like it always did when someone paid her a rare compliment. "T-thank you, Master Iruka."

"Here's your _hitai-ate_," Master Mizuki said with a grin, his hazel eyes sparkling as he held it out in front of him.

Hinata stepped up to accept it, and walked back into the classroom. As she slipped back into her seat, Hinata pretended not to notice the stares or the whispers that had followed her.

"No surprise that Hyuga passed…"

A sharp, taunting laugh followed that comment.

"I'm surprised _she _passed," the person that had laughed said. "Neji's a total freakin' genius, but her…"

Hinata imagined that boy shaking his head with pity or scorn.

"_She sucks._"

Hinata closed her eyes, her fingers trailing over the silken material of her _hitai-ate_. She was an official ninja of Kohona, a _true _kunochi.

"But the Hyugas are like, one of the strongest clans in the village!"

"Just because they can see things with their freaky eyes doesn't make them all that special."

"Yeah, Sasuke's _much _cooler," came Ino's obnoxious voice, renting the air loudly so her voice was heard clearly in the entire classroom. "I mean, at least he _has _pupils."

Someone sniggered.

Hinata had to admit her eyes were a bit strange, with the whole pupil thing, as her eyes looked emotionless and often intimidated others, but Sasuke's weren't so different from hers. His were so dark, they looked completely black. But what made Hinata frightened of them was the blatant hatred that he let show through them, hatred that seemed to be aimed at everybody for simply existing.

Hinata's shoulders squared stiffly, an almost instinctive habit that she had developed over the years, as if she could shield herself from the barbed insults that were thrown at her daily. She didn't hate the rude remarks as much as she despised the pity or sympathy she saw on the faces of students and teachers. She knew they felt like it was required to sugarcake everything, like they had an obligation to soothe her feelings in the most pitiable way possible.

At least her father was honest.

Hinata looked down at her _hitai-ate,_ her badge of adulthood. Light streaming through the window she was sitting next to glittered off the metal piece, focusing on the leaf etched into the metal. She had forever imagined light shining off that symbol as she wore it, proclaiming to all that she was a kunochi of Kohona, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Hinata glanced around the room, noticing that her peers were already wearing theirs, mostly around the forehead or over their hair. Realizing that she had been sitting for the past ten minutes just fondling and playing with the _hitai-ate_, she quickly wrapped it around her neck and tied the ends into a knot, letting it fall down to her collarbone. She smiled and stared out the window, which faced one street that led to the school, watching parents passing by and making their way to the back courtyard. She wondered if her own father was attending. Hinata quickly pushed back the longing and just stared down at her desk, twiddling her fingers.

The rest of the class was passing quickly, everyone earning their _hitai-ates _quickly. Students shifted in their seats impatiently, eager to be released to go inform their parents and clan that they were now genin ninja. While most of her peers were probably feeling ecstatic, Hinata felt nervous as usual. She might've earned her _hitai-ate_, but that didn't secure her place as a genin. She needed to, her father _expected _her to, to fight her way to the top of the pack, as was expected of a Hyuga. She knew she was far from the top, hell, she was close to the bottom, but that wouldn't sit well with her father. It never had, especially since her younger sister, Hanabi, was slowly surpassing her. Hinata couldn't wait until she was put on a team. Then, she would get more training and experience and become the Hyuga her father expected her to be. At the thought of receiving a rare smile from her father that was mostly rewarded to Hanabi, she sat up straighter and stopped twiddling with her fingers.

Finally, the last student was called in.

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

Hinata felt her heart do a flip-flop as she watched the mischievous blond stride confidently towards the back room. Almost immediately, all of the students started snickering and making snide remarks.

"Pfft, what an idiot. Thinks he'll actually pass."

"He won't. He skipped out on the day Master Iruka taught us doppelgangers."

"What a loser. I can't believe he's got the guts to still attend the Academy."

"Yeah, he's better off working at the ramen stand. It's practically his dream job!"

The last comment brought on a chorus of laughter and even more insults at Naruto's expense. Hinata felt a flush of anger and brief hatred run through her. She knew what it was like to feel like a failure, to feel like an outcast. Her father reminded her everyday. She couldn't even begin to contemplate how her class could taunt others when they haven't even been put under the pressure she and Naruto had suffered. Hinata knew that the adults despised Naruto as well, and it seemed that they passed their feelings onto their children.

Hinata's fingers curled under the edge of desk, her nails digging into the wood. She so desperately wanted to get up and wipe the smug smiles off their faces, she wanted to scream at them, and for a moment, she wanted them to hurt like she did, like Naruto did. She had sometimes spotted an emotion in Naruto's eyes other than his usual carefree attitude when he was left out or ignored or insulted. Hinata had spotted sadness in Naruto's eyes, she had seen him lingering on the swing alone when the Academy had let out for the day, eyes focused on the ground, a certain kind of hopelessness in them that made her want to cry for him.

Hinata wanted to stand up for him, wanted to tell off all her peers, but as soon as the idea ran through her mind, her courage dwindled, and in the end she did nothing at all.

To Hinata, that was her biggest failure of all.

She stood by herself in the crowd, eyes scanning for the person she had desperately wanted to attend the most, hungrily craving for some praise or a smile. But her father wasn't there. Hinata sighed and stared at the scene around her with a mournful expression. Kids were chattering happily, and parents were praising them proudly in loud voices.

"Good job, champ!"

"Mom's gonna cook a feast tonight!"

Hinata lingered like a lost puppy, not sure whether she should go home or stay and watch; try to obtain of some of that warmth, that happiness for herself, even if it only came in meager scraps. As her gazed wandered, Hinata caught scraps of a heated conversation from two mothers standing nearby. They were both staring at the group of trees near the back of the courtyard with expressions of disgust and scorn.

"There's that fox kid," one sneered.

"Looks like he failed," the other woman said. "The only one, though. It's a disgrace. I'm not surprised at all. Why is he even allowed to come here, since everybody knows that he's-"

The other woman, having caught sight of Hinata standing near, angrily shushed her companion and they both flounced off to their husbands and children.

Hinata turned to see what the woman had been staring at and let out an involuntary gasp. There was Naruto, sitting on the swing under the tree, eyes cast down in sadness with no _hitai-ate _in sight.

Hinata felt her heart ache for him, and she felt the urge to go up to him and comfort him. But, once again, as she took a few timid steps in Naruto's direction, her courage failed her. She stared at the ground for a moment, hating herself for being such a coward, a failure like her father said she was, and loathing the tears that were falling to the ground.

Hinata closed her eyes and squeezed them tightly to dry up the tears. When she looked up, confidence welling up within her once more, Naruto was gone, the empty swing moving slightly in the light breeze.

**A/N: **Oh my god, that turned to be even longer than I anticipated. I kinda like this chapter, since it turned out pretty well. To my readers, I apologize for the long wait. I finally gave myself a kick in the ass and ordered myself to work on this chapter. Anyways, some of this chapter was inspired by the lyrics from _Backthefuckoff_ by Ph8. I was listening to that song when I was describing Hinata's feelings and it actually helped me out. Yeah, I just attempted to explore inside of Hinata and her feelings, basically. Yeah, she might be a sweet, shy girl but even she feels anger at times. And it's pretty much that anger that's gonna develop and influence her throughout the story. I had to my best, though, not to butcher her character in the process. I'd appreciate it if you guys told me how I did with that, or give me any advice/improvements I need. Thank you for reading and have a nice… er, night. XD


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